Hick defends ed reform, endorses testing bill

Gov. John Hickenlooper Tuesday said there’s no reason to go back on state education reforms and endorsed a new bipartisan bill that would reduce high school testing and streamline assessments in early grades.

While agreeing the testing system needs some change, he said, “We thought it important to re-emphasize that we are not slowing down” on rolling out recent Colorado education reform efforts.

He repeated that message several times during a Capitol news conference, saying, the politics of the moment and increasing criticism of testing shouldn’t slow down reform.

The governor’s news conference was seen by Capitol observers as a move to shore up support for Senate Bill 15-215, a measure significantly based on the recommendations of the Standards and Assessments Task Force, an advisory group on the issue. (See the bill text here.)

The bill is sponsored by Sens. Owen Hill, R-Colorado Springs, and Andy Kerr, D-Lakewood. It’s currently scheduled for its first hearing in the Senate Education Committee Thursday afternoon, although it’s possible the hearing will be delayed. Neither Hill nor Kerr attended Tuesday’s event because the Senate was in session.

Some Democratic and Republican members of the panel have concerns with the bill, mainly that it doesn’t go far enough to reduce testing.

Standing with Hickenlooper at the news conference were Senate President Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, and House Speaker Dickie Lee Hullinghorst, D-Boulder. Neither spoke.

The governor said he was sure there will be tweaks as the testing bill moves along. Asked what changes to the bill he’d support or oppose, Hickenlooper said, “I don’t have a list of things I’m for or I’m against.”

Hickenlooper was asked about students opting out of tests. He joked that his son, Teddy, came home from testing the other day and asked if he could opt out.

He said he told his son, “There’s nothing to be feared from tests.”

Parents who who don’t want their children to test “are not doing their kids any favors by opting out,” Hickenlooper said.

He also said he doesn’t favor taking Colorado out of PARCC tests.

“Let’s see how it goes,” he said of the Colorado’s participation in the multi-state testing partnership. “To throw something out before you’ve even tried it doesn’t seem to be the wisest course.”

Representatives from several reform and business groups flanked Hickenlooper at the news conference, including Democrats for Education Reform, Colorado Succeeds, Colorado Concern, Colorado Children’s Campaign and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.

Hickenlooper claimed the almost-unanimous support of the business community for state education reform programs.

Kelly Brough, a former Hickenlooper aide who now heads the chamber, spoke briefly to stress that Colorado needs a rigorous education system to train a highly skilled workforce of the future.

The Hickenlooper administration has been allied with education reform groups but has not taken as high a profile on education issues as did former Gov. Bill Ritter.

Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia has been the administration’s point person on education issues. In a December speech to a school boards convention Garcia said Colorado “can’t back down” on education reform (see story). And last week Garcia urged parents not to opt out of state tests (see story).

Seven testing bills have been introduced so far in the 2015 session, including SB 15-215. Additional bills may surface, particularly if support doesn’t coalesce behind the Hill-Kerr proposal. Sen. Chris Holbert, R-Parker, has had a bill drafted but reportedly is holding off until after there’s some movement on SB 15-215.

Testing Bill Tracker

Click the bill number in the left column for more a more detailed description, sponsors and other information. Click the link in the Fiscal Notes column at the right for a bill’s description and an estimate of potential state costs.